BLUETTI PV200 Folding Solar Panel VS RENOGY 200W Glass Panel. Which performs better. Pros and Cons

The renogy didn't benefit from the snow reflection that the bluetti did.

Your other review of the PV200 was lukewarm. I bought an AllPower SP033 per your recommendation. In that review you compared the PV200 to the Allpower. you recommend the Allpower for the money over the PV200? I just returned my AllPower SP033. It was not bad, but produced 20W under my Renogy glass 200W (2x 100W) panels. Just bought a PV200 for $249 on sale Refurbished. I have not got it yet.

Strange you got so much from the PV200 this time? Last time it was just slightly better than the Allpower. Of course conditions vary. However my experience was the Renogy 200W glass panels, out performed the Allpower, from 5 to 20watts. No surprise and the Allpower was not bad. I think the Bluetti PV200 will be more durable and more efficient. (we shall see)

I'm in southern California and I've tested my bluetti at around 4pm and also at 10 am and 1 pm when the sun is highest and I only get 125 max. Maybe I have a crappy panel?

Do you happened to have any data on the renegy eflex 220 portable panels? Im curious of those compared to the bluetti. Thanks

Hi! Super appreciate your review as I'm comparing the Bluetti PV200 to the Renogy E.Flex 200. Would love to see a comparison there, as both are lightweight, flexible and use the newer coatings.

ONE QUESTION THOUGH: You say the Bluetti is IP65 waterproof and can be left in a sudden rain if you are camping and away from your RV. But their lit specifically says "don't leave out in the rain" in multiple places. It doesn't say "not submersible," it specfiically says, "don't leave in the rain." I called Bluetti customer service today and asked specifically, and they said "it's best if you can fold it up and put it away before it rains."

For us, that is a non-starter, as we are typically down a trail, looked like it would be sunny all day, when it starts to pour back at the campsite. Some places get an afternoon shower every day - staying home to take the panels down defeats the purpose of having them! But I'm being persistent, because in every other way I really like the Bluetti panels, and I'm trying to determine if the rain warnings are Bluetti lawyerspeak, or really will wreck/shorten the lift of the panels.

Have you or other folks had them out during afternoon showers? Will that wreck them or shorten their lifespans? Risky? What do you think? Thanks for your opinion/reply!

Super helpful info. Thank you! I too wish it had grommets on all 4 corners. Wondering if two of these 200w solar panels are needed to charge the Bluetti AC 180z I would like to see a review on that. The set up and time to charge. Thanks for your honest and detailed review!

The Bluetti has an MPPT controller. Does the Renogy also have an MPPT or is it a PWM controller?

I have a Bluetti pv200 and am currently in Germany. Under clear blue skies, with the sun high in the sky I can't get more than 117 watts out of this panel. I've covered each panel individually to see if I have faulty section, but no they are all working. The Open Circuit voltage measures around 22.9 volts. The specs state it should be 26.1 volts. Do you think I have a faulty panel????

I don’t think your test is valid. The BLUETTI was receiving light reflected from the snow in front of it. When you tested the Renogy, the BLUETTI was in front of it and it did not get any light reflected from the snow. Thoughts?

Nice video, Greg.

I have the Bluetti 120w and a 350w. I haven’t really been able to fully test them as of late. I also have that 200w Renogy solar panel and an EcoFlow 160w. I am shocked it didn’t do as well as that 200w in your test. 😮

I have a Bluetti 800w power station 🚉. Looking 👀 forward to really testing them out.

Great review!

You mentioned the specs for the Bluetti, but not the glass panel. What was its ocv and amp ratings?

Great review. I want to get mine out and start using my BLUETTI Max and panels! Thank you 😊

Great video. Thanks a lot man.

I received in Nov 2022 a Jackery 2000 Pro with 2 - 200 and 2 SolarSaga 200 panels, and 2 - Jackery Explorer SG 880 solar generator with 2 - SolarSaga 100 panels that I bought in Oct. 2021. These generators are primarily for power outages at my house, or outages at my children's houses. I don't use the soup can to determine the best angle. I use the smaller generators for powering my coffee pot and toaster, my iMac, recharging my iPod, cell phone, electric tooth brush, recharge the battery for my lawnmower, and sometimes my internet gateway. I do this to get use out of the generators. I use the big generator to power my fridge for 10 to 12 hours. I then recharge the next day when the sun is out. My problem is that I am surrounded by mature trees in my backyard that provides only 5 or 6 hours of direct sunlight. But I can recharge in 4 to 5 hours. I'm 75, so the 200 panel is heavy and tough for me to handle. And the 2000 Pro is heavy for me. But I love using these batteries to lower my electric bill. During the summer when it gets to be above 90º F, I run the cord for the panels through an opening in my kitchen window to connect to the generator inside my kitchen. I use a towel to close the window opening. I plan to use the 2000 Pro in the summer with the generator and panels outside with an extension cord through the window attached to the fridge to power the fridge and to charge the generator at the same time. Since I charge at about 335 W and the fridge uses intermittently about 135 W, I can power the fridge for 24 hours. I would love to have solar panels on my roof, and I have the roof area for 13Kw to 14Kw system, but my house is surrounded by mature trees that would not provide enough direct sunlight for the price. And I will not cut down the trees. My electric bill in 2021 was $1,000 while in 2022 it was $817 U.S. This time next year I'll see if the effort and sunlight was worth the effort of using these generators. I expect my electric bill to go down $125 to $150 during 2023, depending upon summer heat, and depending upon a proposed 12% increase by the electric company. I keep my home air con at 72º in the summer. Remember, prime use of Generators is for power outages, but I might as well use them to save electricity. Maybe tmi, but I thought you would like to hear from me. Portable solar can save electricity when the sun is out. Best, Webhead USA

Great video Craig!!! Nothing to add here, I think you covered it.

Hey there Craig! It's nice to see you again. Nice review and video. I'm happy to see you're doing well up there in The Great White North! I'll bet you have a calendar countdown to boating season. What are your sailing plans for '23? Any blue water time maybe?

it would be interesting is to set up the panels and then angle them away from the sun say in 15-degree increments and see how much difference it makes to the output. I'm guessing surprisingly little but I've been wrong before.

Hi Craig, great video, thanks for the review. I too have the Bluetti panels and i agree with your measurements. I’m really happy with the Ac200max, B300, and a bunch of their accessories. I’m looking for permanent, thin and flexible panels for my RV - not sure which way to go yet. I am comparing panels on a watt per m2 area basis to work out real world efficiency and output. After all, the space for fixing permanent panels on an RV is limited so the maximum watts per m2 of solar panel is really important. When comparing panels, consider shading 30% of the panel to see how they handle partial sun. I hear that panels handle partial shading or overcast conditions differently. Some struggle, some not so much. Can you compare the m2 area vs wattage output of the panels that you reviewed. You may find that the glass panel was in fact more “productive” for the total area of the panel.

Just an observation that the Bluetti seems to have more surface area for collecting light that the older panel that you compared it to. I have also read that many of the panels deteriorate with age and are not as efficient as they get older. This and the smaller surface area could explain some of the differences. There is also the fact that newer models, even using the same technology will have improvements in the design. Just look at the engine of a car. It is similar in the base design but many improvements have been made to improve efficiency and longevity of the engine.